Dr. Salani on the Rationale for Immunotherapy/PARP Inhibitor Combos in Ovarian Cancer

Ritu Salani, MD, MBA, director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, Los Angeles, discusses the rationale for combinations of immunotherapy and PARP inhibitors in ovarian cancer.

Combination immunotherapy and PARP inhibitors capitalize on DNA damage repair and priming the immune system and in turn, the immunotherapy can be more active in tumors that are not typically considered immunogenic, Salani says. Overall, immunotherapy can exploit a deficiency to make it opportunistic. 

Preliminary data observed in phase 2 clinical trials have suggested utility with this combination approach, Salani explains.

Moreover, adding VEGF inhibitors, such as bevacizumab (Avastin), to this combination strategy could enhance synergistic activity of this treatment for patients with ovarian cancer independent of BRCA, homologous recombination deficiency, or PD-1/PD-L1 status, Salani concludes.